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Security
Tip for September
Home
Invasion
One of the more
frightening and potentially dangerous crimes that can occur to a
family is a home invasion. A home invasion is when
robbers force their way into an
occupied home, apartment or hotel room to commit a robbery or other
crimes. It is particularly frightening because it violates our
private space and the one place that we think of as our sanctuary.
Home invasion is
like the residential form of an automobile carjacking and it is on
the rise. Like the crime of carjacking,
most police agencies don’t track home invasions as a separate crime.
Most police agencies and the FBI will statistically record the crime
as a residential burglary or a robbery. Without the ability to track
the specific crime of home invasion, little can be done to alert the
public as to the frequency of occurrence in their community or
devise a law enforcement plan of action to control it.
CRIMINAL PROFILE
Residential
burglars work mostly during the day and when a residence is more
likely to be unoccupied. Most burglars work alone and tend to probe
a neighborhood looking for the right residence and the right
opportunity. Alarm signs and decals, bars on windows, strong locks
and doors, big dogs, and alert neighbors can sometimes deter
burglars. Also, burglars will avoid a confrontation and will usually
flee when approached. Most burglaries do not result in
violence unless the criminal is
cornered and uses force to escape.
Home invasion
robbers, in contrast, work more often at nights and on weekends when
residences are more likely to be occupied. The home invaders will
sometimes target the resident as well as the residence. The
selection process may include a
woman living alone, a senior citizen or a known drug dealer, for
example. It is not unheard of for a robber to follow you home based
on the value of the car you are driving or the jewelry you are
wearing. Many home robbers have been in your home before as a
delivery person, installer or repair vendor. Home robbers rarely
work alone and rely on an overwhelming physical confrontation to
gain control and instill fear in their victims. The greatest
violence usually occurs during the initial confrontation and home
invaders often come prepared with handcuffs, rope, duct tape, and
firearms. Some in-home robbers appear to enjoy the intimidation,
domination, and violence and some even claim it’s a "rush."
DANGEROUS TRENDS
The act of
committing a home invasion is escalating much like carjacking. The
reason for the increase seems to follow a similar pattern. Much like
automobiles, the traditional commercial targets for robbers have
hardened themselves against criminal
attack and have reduced available cash. Technology has allowed
commercial establishments to install affordable video surveillance
systems, silent alarms, and other anti-crime deterrent devices. A
residence can appear as a more attractive choice.
Home invaders
know that they won't have to overcome alarm systems when the home is
occupied or be worried about video cameras and silent alarms. Home
robbers have privacy once inside and don’t have to deal with
customers suddenly driving up or security patrols. Once the
offenders take control of a residence they can
force the occupants to open safes,
locate hidden valuables, supply keys to the family car, and PIN
numbers to their ATM cards. Home robbers will try to increase their
escape time by disabling the phones and sometimes will leave their
victims bound or incapacitated. It is not unheard of for robbers to
load up the victim’s car with valuables and drive away without
anyone in the neighborhood taking notice.
METHOD OF OPERATION
The most common
point of attack is through the front door or garage. Sometimes the
home invaders will simply kick open
the door and confront everyone inside. More common is when the home
invaders knock on the door first or ring the bell. The home invader
hopes that the occupant will simply open the door, without question,
in response to their knock. Unfortunately, many people do just that.
Home invaders
will sometimes use a ruse or
impersonation to get you to open the door. They have been known to
pretend to be delivering a package, flowers or lie about an accident
like hitting your parked car. Once the door is opened for them, the
home invaders will use an explosive amount of force and threats to
gain control of the home and produce fear in the victims. Once the
occupants are under control the robbers will begin to collect your
valuables.
PREVENTION STEPS
The same tactics
used to prevent daytime burglaries will go a long way to preventing
forced entry home robberies. If you can delay a home invader at the
point of entry then you have a chance of deterring them or have time
to call the police. A solid core door, strong locks with reinforced
strike plates, and reinforced window devices will stop most forced
entries. The weakest home security link is the home occupant who
fails to lock doors or windows or who will open the door without
question at the sound of a knock.
The best defense
against home invasion is education and planning. Parents should hold
a family meeting to discuss how to answer the door when someone
knocks. Another important topic is how to act should your home be
invaded. Once you know how home robbers work, you can effectively
prevent most occurrences.
Remember these important security steps:
1. Install solid core doors, heavy duty locks, and window
security devices
2. Lock all doors, windows, and garages at all times
3. Use four three-inch screws to secure heavy duty lock strike
plates
4. Use the door peephole BEFORE opening the door
5. Use your porch light to help you to see clearly
6. Never rely on a chain-latch as a barrier to partially open the
door
7. Never open the door to strangers or solicitors
8. Call the police if the stranger acts suspicious
9. Alert your neighbors to suspicious solicitors
10.
Hold a family meeting to discuss home security plans
I hope you found these ideas helpful |
